Transport and display case for a golf set

ABSTRACT

A transport and display case for a golf set. The case has a front panel, a pair of side walls, a rear panel, a top and a bottom. The top is transparent so that it allows maximum amount of light into the case to showcase the golf set within. The front panel has two portions: the upper portion is transparent to allow light into the case and allow consumers to view the golf set, while the lower portion is opaque. Both side walls are opaque. The bottom is locked, but can provide easy access by consumers after they purchase the golf set from store. The case is constructed using a cardboard blank with predefined fold lines and cut-out lines. The cut-lines define portions of the case for attaching the transparent covers such as the lid and upper portion. The case can be “sealed” after the golf set is placed in the case. However, to ensure that the golf set, i.e. the golf bag and golf clubs, is secured during transport from the supplier to the store, the golf clubs are secured to a stabilizer structure through wire ties, prior to the case is “sealed”. The stabilizer, which may be a piece of cardboard, is engaged to the golf bag at its dividers. By securing the clubs to the stabilizer, consumers are not prevented from viewing the club heads from close distance, through the transparent part of the display case.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to packaging for transporting and displaying a merchandise in a market place, and more particularly relates to a transport and display case for a golf set that is suitable for both transporting and showcasing the golf set.

ART BACKGROUND

It is quite common for general sporting goods store or mass merchandise stores to carry a golf set in a box. The consumers at such stores generally expect the golf sets to be of a good value and good quality. The box in which the golf set is held generally shows pictures of the golf bag and the golf clubs, as well as other accessories that come with the set. However, despite the pictorial design, consumers have been inclined to open the box to gain a closer look, and feel, of the contents in the box. If a consumer ended up making a purchase after the uninvited self-initiated “try-out,” the store could not have been happier. Quite often, though, the consumer opens the box and swings the clubs around, all without consummating a purchase. Now the store is stuck with a tempered package, with the clubs possibly scratched or damaged due to mishandling by the curious consumer. This kind of user mishandling, whether intentional or unintentional, represents one of the major causes for increased reject and return rates for the store and its suppliers.

While the store wants to discourage consumers from opening the golf set's packaging, it also aims to provide helpful visual information to the consumers to entice them into making a purchase. At the same time, in order to protect the club heads from banging against each other during transport, the store's suppliers have resorted to the use of bubble wraps on the club heads. Despite the obvious utility of the bubble wraps, they make it virtually impossible for the consumers to observe the club heads, which may deter them from purchasing the golf set.

Therefore, it is desirable to have a display case for a golf set that best showcases the golf set while discouraging the consumers from tempering.

It is also desirable to have a display case for a golf set that allows the consumers to easily view and identify the components.

It is further desirable to have a display case for a golf set that prevents damages to the club heads during transport and handling, while still allowing visual inspection of the club heads by the consumers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A transport and display case for a golf set is disclosed. The case has a front panel, a pair of side walls, a rear panel, a top and a bottom. The top is transparent so that it allows maximum amount of light into the case to showcase the golf set within. The front panel has two portions: the upper portion is transparent to allow light into the case and allow consumers to view the golf set, while the lower portion is opaque. Both side walls are opaque. The bottom is locked, but can provide easy access by consumers after they purchase the golf set from store. The case is constructed using a cardboard blank with predefined fold lines and cut-out lines. The cut-lines define portions of the case for attaching the transparent covers such as the lid and upper portion. The case can be “sealed” after the golf set is placed in the case. However, to ensure that the golf set, i.e. the golf bag and golf clubs, is secured during transport from the supplier to the store, the golf clubs are secured to a stabilizer structure through wire ties, prior to the case is “sealed”. The stabilizer, which may be a piece of cardboard, is engaged to the golf bag at its dividers. By securing the clubs to the stabilizer, consumers are not prevented from viewing the club heads from close distance, through the transparent part of the display case.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1(a) illustrates an exemplary transport and display case 10 in accordance with the present invention. FIGS. 1(b)-(e) illustrate the front plan view, side and rear plan view, top plan view and bottom plan view of the transport and display case 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary lid 100 for closing the top of the transport and display case 10 in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary top front portion 110, which is a “U”-shaped transparent cover with end tabs 112 on both sides.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary cardboard blank for the transport and display case 10 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary locking device for keeping the clubs in place during transport and display.

FIG. 6 illustrates a conventional golf bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A transport and display case for a golf set is disclosed. Reference is made to FIG. 1(a), which illustrates exemplary transport and display case 10 in accordance with the present invention. The case 10, when erected vertically, allows a golf bag (such as the one illustrated in FIG. 6) to be attractively displayed in its ordinary up-right position with the golf clubs inside the bag. To allow more light into the case 10 to showcase the golf set, the top 100 of the case is made of a clear or transparent material. In a preferred embodiment, the top 100 is a lid, made of durable materials such as acrylic, polyethylene (“PE”), Polyethylene Terephtalate (“PET”), or polyvinylchloride (“PVC”), with PET being the currently preferred material. The lid 100, as shown in FIG. 2, preferably provides a final closure to the top of the case 10, after the golf set is placed and secured inside the case 10 prior to transport.

With reference to FIG. 1(a), the case 10 is a combination of corrugated and plastic materials. The body of the case 10 is corrugated with much of the upper portion being “dual walled,” thus providing more strength. The front of the case 10, which has a clear or transparent upper portion 110, allows more light and visibility into the golf set within. The lower portion 120, is opaque, and joins with the side panels 105(a) and (b). A demarcation 125 between the transparent upper portion 110 and the opaque lower portion 120 is preferably a curved or angled cut, from side to side, in order to provide a variable lighting inside the case 10. The side panels 105(a) and (b), back panel (not shown) and bottom panel (not shown) are opaque and are made of durable cardboard material. The lid 100 and the upper portion 110 are preferably made of a transparent, impact- and shatter-resistant material, so that they provide maximum amount of light into the box, while protecting the case from being damaged or cracked. The entire case 10, once shipped from the supplier, is “sealed” to discourage the consumers from opening the case until after purchase. The bottom panel of the case, which can be a glue flap, would provide easy opening for the consumers after purchase.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary lid 100 for the top of the transport and display case in accordance with the present invention. It is transparent, so that it provides maximal amount of light inside the case to allow the consumers to examine the golf set. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary front upper portion 110, which is a “U”-shaped transparent cover with end tabs 112 on both sides. The end tabs 112, after applied with adhesive or bonding material, will be applied to the inside of the side panels 105(a) and (b). The upper portion 110 is preferably made of the same material as the lid 100.

Reference is now turned to FIG. 4, where an exemplary cardboard blank for the transport and display case 10 of the present invention is illustrated. Note that this cardboard blank, when it is erected, represents the opaque portions. The blank has four main panels: a rear panel 150 with a rear top flap 130, side panels 105(a), (b) with side top flaps 140(a) and (b), and a front panel 120, with cut-out lines 125, 126. The side panel 105(b) also has an end tab 106, for attaching to the rear panel 150, when the case is assembled. The cut-out lines 125, 126, when they are cut during assembly, allow the front panel 120 to receive the top front portion 110 (FIG. 3). In a preferred assembly process, the main body of the case is formed when the vertical fold lines of the main panels are folded and the end tab 106 is brought to meet the inside of the rear panel 150. The flaps 130, 140(a) and (b) are brought down to meet the inside of their respective panels. The bottom flaps 160(a)-(d) are assembled to provide an interlocking bottom, which may be glue-locked or auto-locked. The cut-lines 125, 126 are cut, with the flaps 121(a) and (b) folded inward to meet the inside of the side panels 105(a) and (b), respectively.

With the case 10 now fully erected and partially assembled in the sense that it still needs to close its front and top sides, the golf set can be placed into the inside of the case 10. Then the transparent upper portion 110 is attached to complete the front portion of the case, followed by placement of the lid 100, which has its four inside faces bonded to the outside rim of the top of the rear panel 150, side panels 105(a) and (b), and transparent upper portion 110. The transport and display box now has the golf set fully enclosed and ready for transport and display, where a prospective buyer would be able to inspect the golf set and its club heads in close proximity, while unable to open the case.

Before the case and its golf set can be displayed in store, they must be transported from the factory to the eventual store destination. Transporting involves handling and possible movements of the case and its contents. Since the case is now closed from transport to display, pre-cautionary measures should be utilized to prevent the club heads from impacting each other. As mentioned before, scratches to the club heads make the club heads unattractive, thus increasing the reject rate for the store and the supplier. On the other hand, wrapping the club heads in the conventional bubble wraps makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the consumers to inspect the club heads. This blockage hurts sales, since the consumers would be unlikely to purchase a golf set which they can neither touch nor see, especially when the design of the club heads is frequently one of the best selling points of the golf set. Therefore, to make the golf set and club heads safe for transport, a new security device is introduced, as will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary locking device for keeping the clubs in place during transport and display. As shown in FIG. 5, a sturdy vertical structure 200, which preferably is made of cardboard, is used to secure the clubs to the structure through wire ties 205, 206, 207. The structure 200 has notches 210, 220 at its bottom to provide a clamping grip of the dividers in the golf bag (FIG. 6, 300, 310). This way, the clubs would be secured during transport and handling, and the chances of them scratching against each other are virtually eliminated by the vertical structure 200. Further, the clubs remain organized even after transport, so that the consumers can gain a full view of each of the club heads in close proximity, taking full advantage of the light let in by the transparent top and front portion of the case.

Although the invention is described herein with reference to the preferred embodiment, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other applications may be substituted for those set forth herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention should only be limited by the claims included below. 

1. A transport and display case for a golf bag with a plurality of golf clubs, said golf clubs being placed inside said golf bag through at least one divider, the case comprising: an elongated box for housing the golf bag and golf clubs, said box comprising: a transparent top lid; a transparent front upper portion; an opaque front lower portion, said front upper portion and front lower portion defining a front panel; an opaque side panels; an opaque back panel; at least one club stabilizer, said stabilizer securing a golf club thereto, said stabilizer having a clamping opening to releasably engage said divider.
 2. The transport and display case of claim 1, wherein said front lower portion has a curved cut-out at its top.
 3. A transport and display case for a golf bag with a plurality of golf clubs, said golf clubs being placed inside said golf bag through at least one divider, the case comprising: a cardboard blank with pre-defined fold lines and cut-out lines, defining: a bottom; a pair of side panels; a rear panel; a opaque front lower panel; a transparent front cover, extending from the top of said front lower panel, said front lower panel and said transparent front cover defining a front face of said case; a top lid, said top lid being transparent, said top lid closing a space formed by said bottom, said pair of side panels, said rear panel, and said front face, and a stabilizer adapted to secure each of said clubs and to engage said divider, such that said clubs are protected from movement during transport.
 4. The transport and display case of claim 3, wherein said transparent front upper cover is a U-shaped cover with a pair of end tabs at its side for affixing to the inside surface of said side panels, the bottom of said front upper cover is overlapped by the top edge of said front lower panel, said top edge defining a curved edge from side to side.
 5. A method of making a transport and display case for a golf bag with a plurality of golf clubs, said golf clubs being placed inside said golf bag through at least one divider, the method comprising: providing a cardboard blank with pre-defined fold lines and cut-out lines, said cardboard blank defining a bottom, a pair of side panels, a rear panel, a opaque partial front panel; folding said cardboard blank according to said fold lines; cutting said cardboard blank according to said cut-outlines; applying a transparent front cover, said transparent front cover extending from the top of said partial front panel, said partial front panel and said transparent front cover defining a front face of said case; securing said golf clubs to a stabilizer unit; releasably engaging said stabilizer unit to said divider; placing said golf bag with golf clubs into said case; applying a top lid to said case, said top lid being transparent, said top lid closing a space formed by said bottom, said pair of side panels, said rear panel, and said front face.
 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said transparent front cover is a U-shaped cover with its end tabs attaching to the inside of the side panels. 